1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to database management, and more specifically relates to a process for decommissioning database instances on-demand in large scale projects.
2. Related Art
Many large scale projects, such as enterprise-wide information technology (IT) migrations, utilize databases to help manage processes such as progress reports, billing, workflow, etc. If the project is large enough, a single database may prove to be unwieldy, e.g., requiring the management of data from many different sites within an organization, requiring the management of data from a series of sub-projects, etc.
One way to address the problem is to maintain a single database design and create instances of the database “on demand” as required for different durations during the execution of the project. In this way, data can be managed using the same database rules and processes by different groups or at different times throughout the organization. For instance, one site within the organization may be involved in a first phase of the project and require the database from January to August, while a second site may be involved in a second phase, and require use of the database from June through December. Effectively managing the lifecycles of the database instances is critical in order to avoid wasting of time and resources.
Unfortunately, without a standardized approach to decommissioning database instances, the process of providing on-demand database instances to address the above need would not only be costly, but would also be wrought with potential errors. Accordingly, a need exists for a standardized process of decommissioning database instances.